Skip to main content

Utah SBDC Recognizes Home Run-Hitting Sports Business

The Small Business Development Center has selected Pro Image Sports, as a nominee for the annual 2012 regional business award. “Opening the store is a dream come true. My father was a business owner and I too have always wanted to have my own business,” said Troy Osborn, Owner of Pro Image Sports in Layton, Utah.

“I feel that I have created an opportunity for a better future. I didn’t want my future to be dependent on somebody else. This way it’s up to me whether I succeed or not.”

After more than 12 years in retail sales and management, Osborn decided to pursue his lifelong dream. On January 1, 2012, Osborn quit his job and began working on a business plan, loan applications, and paperwork to obtain a franchise license from Pro Image Sports. Osborn then contacted the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Weber State University (WSU).

“I was very impressed with Troy was when he came in to see me,” said Beverly King, SBDC Director. “I didn’t need to provide him a lot of education, he knew the business and he was prepared.”

“Beverly has been very insightful with the business plan, pro forma, and financial projections. When I took the plan to the bank for a loan, they were really impressed,” said Osborn.

With a strong business plan in place, the SBDC helped Osborn secure a substantial start-up loan through the Small Business Administration, guaranteed loan program, in the amount of $240,000. “The SBA loan gave me the confidence that I could make the business work,” said Osborn.

In April 2012, Osborn opened Pro Image Sports in the Layton Hills Mall. The store carries a broad selection of sports apparel, hats and novelties from NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA athletic teams from throughout the U.S., including several products from WSU.

As a proud alumnus from WSU, Osborn worked to create a unique business partnership with the University’s bookstore, which has given him the opportunity to supply more WSU products than any other retailer outside of the University.  Osborn purchases WSU products directly from the bookstore at a reduced price for resale in his own store. The partnership provides the University an opportunity to further expose the WSU brand, while helping Osborn increase sales revenue.
Osborn has surpassed the store’s performance goals by 20 – 30% every month since the business opened. Though it’s just the beginning, Osborn and King are confident that the business will continue to grow and achieve long-term success.

The UT SBDC provides consulting, training and other resources to emerging and existing small business owners in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), the Lead UT SBDC Center at Salt Lake Community College, and other colleges and universities in the state.   To learn more about the UT SBDC program, please visit www.utahsbdc.org.

For more information about Pro Image Sports visit www.proimage.net or call Troy Osborn at 801-544-5883.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SLCC's Undergraduate Annual Research Conference Registration Deadline

Salt Lake Community College’s annual Undergraduate Projects, Performances, Presentations, and Research Conference (UP3RC) is set to take place on April 2, at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, offering students a chance to showcase their academic achievements, fostering a culture of intellectual exchange.  The UP3RC is an annual event designed to celebrate and highlight the academic accomplishments of undergraduate students. It provides a supportive environment for students to share their work, hone their presentations skills, receive constructive feedback, and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers and faculty. All SLCC departments and programs, including faculty and staff, are encouraged to support and visit the day of the event. Students with their poster from last year's UPRC event “The goal of this event is to make sure every school and student is given the opportunity to participate,” says Dr. Kamal Bewar, interim director of the STEM Learning Center, who is chairin

SLCC Business School is Utah’s First to be Named Exclusively After a Woman

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) proudly announces a partnership with the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation to modernize its Business Building and transform its School of Business. The improvements are made possible through a generous $10 million gift from the Miller Family Foundation and Gail Miller, the largest-ever single cash donation received by the college.  SLCC is renaming its Business Building the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Business Building in honor of the Miller family’s legacy and contributions to the community. The business school will be named the Gail Miller School of Business in recognition of the strong business acumen Gail Miller displays as a community leader and as the owner and immediate past chair of the Larry H. Miller Company. This name change will make SLCC home to the only business school in Utah and one of only a few in the country to be named exclusively after a woman.  “We are deeply humbled by the generosity of Gail and the Miller fam

You’re Invited to A Party! Open House Kicks off New Herriman Campus

  Complimentary food truck fare, live music, and family activities spotlight new campus.   There’s something for everyone at the upcoming Herriman Campus Community Open House on Friday, August 4 (3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). See schedule below.   The public is invited to celebrate the opening of this new campus with festivities that include free local food truck fare, live music, and a Mocktail Mixer, where you can mingle with others, including Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and University of Utah (U of U) faculty.   Families with kids can engage in face painting and a craft station, see the Super Mario Brothers movie, and high-five mascots Brutus, Swoop and Yeti.   This is an opportunity to have some summer fun for all ages and to check out the Juniper building on the new 88-acre SLCC Herriman campus.    At the open house, prospective students and their families can meet SLCC and U of U faculty and staff, take a tour the building, or even check out the Application & Transfer Lab a